Of Check-In's and Writing Retreats

*pokes tentatively at wi-fi connection*

*realizes link to the outside world has been restored*

*busts a move*

HEY, GUYS! Long time, no check-in. Sorry about that.

I'm currently on the second leg of my vacation/writing-retreat in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where I have every intention of writing the crap out of this stubborn novel.

To give you an idea of just how stubborn Book 3 has been to write thus far.... I actually began writing it well over a year ago. It's been half-written, then re-written, then remixed, and then sliced and diced until it became the workable, half-finished draft that it is today.

The good news? I've written almost ten thousand new words in the five days since I arrived in the mountains—and they're all (knock on wood) keepers. I'm making progress. And it feels amazing.

The bad news? Even at this rate, it's going to take a flippin' miracle to have the book ready to publish before New Year's.

...Not that I'm giving up on that particular goal. It really just comes down to whether or not I can get the book through edits fast enough to release it on time. And honestly... edits aren't exactly something you want to rush through.

I want this book to be the best it can be. I want it to be something you guys will enjoy reading. And that can take time...

So here's the deal. From now on, we'll be aiming for a mid–February release date.

And if the book happens to be ready a little earlier... Well. Who am I to make y'all wait? :-)

Also, in an effort to keep me on track in the face of my newly reacquired wi-fi connection, I'm bringing back the progress bar. *points to the upper left corner of the blog*

Don't be too worried by the current percentage—there's actually a bit more than that. I'm not counting the scenes I've written, but haven't added in to the manuscript yet, and there are quite a few of those.

For the next week, I ought to be updating that bar daily as I write. With any luck, it will be at 75% or higher before I head back home!

So. Yes. With that in mind, I should probably get back to work, eh?

Have a wonderful Wednesday, y'all!

*wanders off in search of words*

Song of the Week: Arsonist's Lullaby by Hozier (aka the perfect song for the Variant Series' character, Carson Brandt. Fave lyric: "Don't you ever tame your demons, but always keep 'em on a leash." Do you guys have a song that reminds you of a certain character? If so, let me know in the comments!)